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Q: Key Client Program for Law Firm ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: Key Client Program for Law Firm
Category: Business and Money > Consulting
Asked by: executivehotline-ga
List Price: $25.00
Posted: 13 Feb 2003 13:05 PST
Expires: 15 Mar 2003 13:05 PST
Question ID: 161011
Please point me to web sites of vendors offering to help LAW FIRMS set
up and manage KEY CLIENT PROGRAMS, defined as law firm initiatives to
identify key clients, provide those clients with exceptional or
special services, and increase yield from those clients. I am happy to
gather, digest, and process the information, I'm just looking to
identify some good resources to save me some research time up front. I
need to write a short report summarizing (i) typical objectives of a
Key Client Program, (ii) standard elements of such a program, and
(iii) other considerations when intiating such a program. Again, my
inquiry is law firm specific. I am interested in Key Client Programs
in other industries only to the extent that the same methodology could
be applied in a law firm.
Answer  
Subject: Re: Key Client Program for Law Firm
Answered By: pafalafa-ga on 13 Feb 2003 13:54 PST
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hello Executivehotline-ga, and thank you for your question. 

I've included below links and excerpts from some key sites dealing
specifically with key client programs for law firms.  From your
question, I gathered you are looking for well-targeted links to a few
sources, rather than dozens and dozens of links.  Although you
specifically asked for vendors, I've also included some articles on
Key Client Programs, as you seemed to be looking for overview
information as well.

If I've misread your needs, though, just let me know through a Request
for Clarification, and I'll be glad to provide additional information
(you are, after all, a key client of mine).

Herewith, the links to a nmuber of service groups and relevant
articles(text is directly from the sites, unless it's in brackets, in
which case, I wrote it):


http://www.blaqwell.com/services-lawfirms.html

Blaqwell: Services for law firms

Blaqwell is an international consulting firm comprised of some of the
legal industry's most-experienced consultants. What sets us apart from
other legal consulting firms is our extensive, first-hand experience
in the management of premier global law firms and in-house legal
departments in the US and abroad.

Key Client Programs 
Many law firms derive the significant majority of their revenues from
a small number of clients, yet few have meaningful key client service
programs in place. We have helped several firms develop and implement
such programs by helping them to identify key clients, differentiate
the service provided to key clients and measure the success of their
programs. We have conducted key client interviews, a process which has
yielded insightful results.

-----

http://www.lfmi.com/news/Clientresearch.cfm

[this is an article at this site by the BTI Consulting Group]

Mid-Size Firms Taking Market Share from Large Firms

National account and key client programs will drive success, as will
training and the ability to successfully develop and introduce new
services that anticipate client needs.

Steps to Take Now

Law firms can undertake a number of strategies and tactics to take
advantage of the current market dynamics and trends moving forward. We
recommend that law firms take the following steps:

Survey your clients to uncover what they really think, and where you
really stand

Calculate your client "churn" - client turnover, especially among top
20 clients is a key sign of underlying weakness. Growth and client
stability is strength, mere client retention without growth is
weakness.

Review your client relationships and select the top few with the most
revenue potential for key client strategies

Develop a client outreach strategy to proactively engage clients in a
two-way relationship

Speak business value to your clients 

Develop key metrics indicators for growing client relationships and
use them

Identify client-focused key performance indicators for senior
attorneys

And finally, and most importantly, develop a strategy to exploit the
cutbacks in law firms that clients use - lead the charge to win in the
next round

The BTI Consulting Group (BTI), based in Boston, is the leader in
providing high-impact research, consulting and training to the buyers
and sellers of professional services. BTI provides the following to
professional service firms: market research, client satisfaction,
market research, business strategy, client development and client
focus training, marketing and business development systems and
strategies, key client programs and tools.

-----

http://www.abanet.org/lpm2/magazine/996ross.html

"THE NEW WORLD OF LAW PRACTICE MARKETING"

Key client programs.Trend: Client teams. Like our peers in Big Five
accounting firms, more firms are creating teams targeting their most
critical clients. This proactive strategy helps build a wall around
key clients.

Frontrunner: California-based Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP,
where director of practice development Stephen Barrett directs 60
active client teams that generate more than their proportional share
of firm revenue increases.

-----

http://www.grdixon.com/law_firms.htm

Grant Dixon
Specialist Consultants to Law Firms 
Key client concept / Quality service delivery
-----
http://www.altmanweil.com/about/articles/lfma/marketing.cfm?jsenabled=True

ALTMAN WEIL, INC.
Overview

Altman Weil provides management consulting services exclusively to
legal organizations. Our clients include law firms, law departments,
governmental legal organizations and legal vendors of all sizes and
types throughout North America, the U.K. and abroad.


[Article available at site]: Using Matrices To Enhance Marketing Part
II: The Key Client Matrix. Alan R. Olson

-----
http://www.sugarcrest.com/about/

Sugarcrest Development Group is a professional training and consulting
firm focused on helping law firms and legal service providers win new
business and build long-lasting, revenue producing relationships with
their clients. The company offers a suite of sales and marketing
training programs and management consulting services designed
exclusively for the legal industry.

One of the specialties they offer:  Develop a key client action plan

-----
http://www.wjfinstitute.com/articles_5.htm

[Article]

It's The Client, Stupid 
How to Avoid Marketing Malpractice With Large Key Clients.

...survival demands a strong key client relationship management
program. The immediate and long-term mission of the program is client
retention. Managing partners should ask the following questions:

Does the firm have client relationship managers in place for each of
our key clients?

Is there a well-defined team in place that services each of these key
clients?
Does the team meet frequently to develop client retention or business
development strategies?

Is there a written plan in place for each key client that defines how
the firm plans to retain and service the client?

Do we conduct client opinion surveys of our key clients to get
feedback on how our firm is performing?

Is the client relationship manager accountable to the firm for
increasing the client's satisfaction with our firm?

Does the firm track -- by practice areas and potential practice areas
-- opportunities for these clients?

Does the firm hold internal review meetings to determine if the client
managers and the teams are meeting the firm's

----

I hope that meets your needs.  But if not, just make a Request for
Clarification, and let me know how else I can be of service.  Good
luck in your project.

search strategy:  Google search on "key client" "law firm"

Request for Answer Clarification by executivehotline-ga on 14 Feb 2003 07:42 PST
abanet, grdixon, and sugarcrest not helpful as they did not describe
exactly what they do WRT Key Client Programs.

I found good stuff at altmanweil and wjfinstitute.

A few more descriptive articles or promotional materials that
specifically address what a good Key Client Program should contain and
should do will be helpful. How to identify Key Clients, how to
structure/implement/manage the program, what to measure, etc.

thanks!

Clarification of Answer by pafalafa-ga on 14 Feb 2003 08:22 PST
Thanks for the clarification -- I wasn't sure initially if you wanted
information on vendors, or information on the key client programs
themselves.  Hopefully, the links and information below will more
fully address your needs.  But if not, don't hesitate to ask for
additional clarification:

-----

http://www.deborahmcmurray.com/StrategicMarketing.asp

Deborah McMurray Associates

Client Loyalty Programs

Even “satisfied” clients fire their law firms.   Many law firms want
to do the “right thing” and survey their clients.  However, a law firm
measuring client “satisfaction” isn’t enough – the key is to measure
client loyalty.

[her site has two articles of particular interest]

http://www.deborahmcmurray.com/PageContent.asp?AID=1743

50 Ways To Improve Your Client Relationships

http://www.deborahmcmurray.com/PageContent.asp?AID=1777

Take a Look--Client Relationships: Get Practical / Get Profitable

-----
http://www.lawmarketing.com/news/keepclients.cfm

Keeping Your Clients After a Law Firm Merger 

[has general principles, even though written for merger situations]

-----
www.busdevinc.com/ PersonalContactsGenerateBusiness-ALAarticle-april2001.doc

Law Firms Find Success Through Personal Contacts & Referral Sources 

"Another law firm has taken a bolder step and organized its entire
operating structure around "Key Client Service Teams"

[article describes how such teams operate]

-----
http://www.firmmarketingcenter.com/FSL5CS/marketing/marketing61.asp

Seven Elements of an Effective Marketing Program

[general "market think" for law firms, with key client focus]

By Susan Saltonstall Duncan. Susan founded her legal consulting firm
of Saltonstall & Associates in 1987 and is President of Rainmaking
Oasis, Inc. Susan was a founder of the Legal Marketing Association and
has been involved in law firm marketing since 1984.

-----
www.interfacesoftware.com/pdf/cs_jeffermangels.pdf 

Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro LLP

[something a little different -- use of custom software to generate
and manage information on key clients]

-----
executivehotline-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars
Researcher interpreted my question well and was responsive and helpful
when I asked for clarification. 5 stars.

Comments  
Subject: Re: Key Client Program for Law Firm
From: rodsloane-ga on 07 Feb 2005 10:28 PST
 
try

<a href="http://www.solicitorsinstitute.com/">www.SolicitorsInstitute.com</a>

Rod Sloane

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